Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Am involved in a Maneuvre with a Prussian officer. We have agreed to use the MOE III House rules. I have taken the Prussian forces (mostly to gain some empathy for their pathetic hordes [:p])

We are battling at HPS Waterloo, the Campaign in one battle with fixed units.

One of my tactics has been to use the numerous skirmisher units present to try and slow down the French advance. On many occasions they are meleed by my opponent and often end up routing out into the open, or in fields. Disordered and with limited range, I have been moving them towards cover, many times this cover can be villages and forests along roadways that the French are using for their advance.

My opponent and I are looking for some clarity on the proper direction for these behind the enemy lines skirmishers. The MOEIII Rules do not address this particular issue.

Should they be required to attempt a return to their own lines ?
Should they take cover and remain there ?

Your thoughts and suggestions please !

Regards,




Maréchal John Mitchell
Grande Duc de Rivoli et Comte de Bordeaux
Commandant Division Infanterie; La Veille Garde
105e Regiment d' Infantrie Ligne,
2e Brigade, 1er Division Infanterie,
I Corp, AdN

John,

I don't believe that the MOE3 rules cover your situation, but the convention has been that "orphaned" skirmishers are supposed to go to ground in the nearest covered terrain. Once in cover, they can't go back across clear terrain until friendly units come near and they can rejoin.

That said, IMO there's nothing wrong with letting them move WITHIN the covered area they retreated to. For instance, there are several large woods with key roads running through them that can become a haven for scattered skirmishers. It would be perfectly legitimate to use orphaned skirmishers that retreated to those woods to interdict the roads. Moreover, given equidistant covered areas there's nothing wrong with having them retreat to the more strategic area.

Regards,

Paco

<i>Maréchal</i> M. Francisco Palomo
<i>Prince d'Essling, Grande Duc d'Abrantes et
Comte de Marseille
Commandant - Division de Cavalerie de la Vieille Garde </i>

I would concur, however, I see also nothing wrong with skirmishers trying to rejoin the main body independently, even in the open, <u>as long as they completely refrain from taking any offensive action against the enemy</u>, and of course do not take any objectives.

<center>
D.S. "Green Horse" Walter, Maréchal d'Empire
Duc des Pyramides, Comte de Normandie
Commandant la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3e Division Bavaroise[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/EdM_start.htm"]L'Ecole de Mars[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant les Grenadiers à Pied de la Vieille Garde, "les Grognards"
</center>

In the past I have tried to get the skirmishers back to their formations, usually trying to avoid contact with the enemy or any other mischief while doing so. But there's nothing wrong with going to ground in cover either.

<center>[url="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/a.r.barlow/Napoleonic/nap.htm"]Lieutenant Colonel Antony Barlow[/url]
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/anglo_allied_army_stats/Anglo_Allied_Army_Cavalry_Corps.htm"]2nd British (Union) Brigade, Anglo-Allied Cavalry Corps[/url] ~
~ [url="http://www.geocities.com/militaireacademie/dragoons.html"]4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards[/url] ~
</center>

When possible, I usually try to "retreat" them towards their own lines. That being said, I would also think that relative position is a key factor. For example, let us take Quatra Bras. Ney advances up the main road, but some Dutch Troops may be holed up in the chateaus/farms south of the woods. These Dutch troops then route to the west. There are no French troops over there, so I see no reason they wouldn't be able to just pick up the road west of the woods, and head north.


Ensign William Davis
23rd (Royal Welsh) Fusiliers
4th British Brigade
Anglo-Allied Army